Baby Einstein - Meet the Orchestra - First Instruments (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)To tell the truth, I was a little disappointed in the DVD. I have been waiting for it to be released, and my expectations were very high. All in all though, I do have to admit that it is a good introduction to musical instruments for small children. My son is 19 months old. He definitely enjoyed the video, and I think it will be beneficial for him as well. I'll list what I feel are the positive and negative aspects about the video below.
Good Things:
*Tons of real footage of children and adults playing instruments solo, in small groups, and in full orchestras. Scenes of marching bands were included too which is nice.
*The video was broken out logically into all of the major sections: Brass, Woodwinds, Strings, and Percussion. The piano & guitar were introduced together at the end. Both the String and Percussion section included all of the major instruments one might think of. Though, there are so many different percussion instruments that a Percussionist might disagree. :)
*Lots of puppets which my son always loves. There is nothing more fun for him than watching those silly hippos!
Not so good things:
*The brass and woodwind section left out some major instruments and included some minor ones instead. The woodwind section introduced the recorder which is RARELY (if ever?) found in an orchestra and left out the oboe which has ALWAYS been a critical instrument in the orchestra. The brass section included the bugle and left out the euphonium. This doesn't bother me as much, but it doesn't make a lot of sense.
*In many of the scenes with elementary children and junior high children, it was obvious that the kids were actors who had never held the particular instrument in their lives. Would it have been terribly difficult for them to borrow kids from real music programs who knew how to hold their instruments properly? That is the first thing you learn before ever playing your first note. Granted, the babies and toddlers don't know how to hold the instruments, but I don't have issues with that.
*Some of the music sounded obviously synthesized. When introducing what an instrument sounds like, shouldn't the real instrument be used rather than a synthesized version? I did notice this only in a few places, most obiously with the "recorder".
Here is a synopsis of the instruments introduced. It is not listed anywhere on the DVD cover.
Brass:
Trumpet
Trombone
Tuba
French Horn
Bugle
Woodwinds:
Flute
Clarinet
Saxophone
Bassoon
Recorder
Strings:
Violin
Viola
Cello
Bass
Harp
Percussion:
Drums
Xylophone
Cymbals
Timpani
Tambourine
Piano & GuitarMy husband and I have a very strong background in instrumental music, so we had very high expecations and were being very critical when evaluating this dvd. Our goal is to instill a love for music in our son from a young age, and since this DVD is for young children, I guess it is OK that it isn't 100% perfect. I do believe that this DVD will be a great for our son, and he enjoys it. Had I not had particular issues with it, I would have given it 5 stars.
Also, please note that it is definitely not for the youngest Baby Einstein audience. My son would not have enjoyed it a few months ago, and I believe he will continue to appreciate it more as he gets older.

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A playful introduction to musical instruments and their sounds!-- Exposes little ones to the sights and sounds of an orchestra-- Features children playing musical instrumentsAt 12 months, babies can identify specific sounds, and they re also starting to match the sounds they hear with the objects that make them. Meet the OrchestraTM -- First Instruments presents your little "maestro" with a playful introduction to the sights and sounds of a real orchestra -- from the clashing of cymbals to the purring of the cello and everything in between! One of the greatest joys parents experience is the first time their child sings a song or picks up a musical toy and starts to play. Music appreciation begins early, and this resoundingly entertaining program encourages musical exploration with fun puppet shows, captivating real-world images and beautiful music by Beethoven, Brahms, Joplin, Haydn, Mozart and Strauss. It s a great way for you and your little one to start off on the right note! DVD Features-- Repeat play-- Language tracks (Spanish, French and English)-- Discovery cards-- Toy chest-- Maestro's recital-- Guess the musical instrument-- Puppet shows-- About Little Einsteins (Available in French and English only)

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